Hit Piece on Speaker Johnson’s Finances Fails Spectacularly

Kaspars Grinvalds / shutterstock.com
Kaspars Grinvalds / shutterstock.com

Usually, when you want to belittle someone, particularly in public, you choose an attribute or fact that makes them look bad and expound on it. One journalist just learned that Speaker Mike Johnson doesn’t really have any of those.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he didn’t try. But what he chose to supposedly call out or make fun of just spectacularly backfired – and in a very public way.

On Wednesday morning, Matt Fuller, a shill for the Daily Beast, tried to make newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson seem unworthy of his new title. How? Well, because apparently, Johnson doesn’t have the usual wealth of the ruling class.

As Fuller posted on X, “Mike Johnson doesn’t have any retirement savings, own a single stock, or have any assets at all.”

He added in the wanna-be hit piece entitled, “Does New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson Have a Bank Account?” “He has less than $5,000 in his bank account. He’s got a 250-500K mortgage, a home equity loan, and a personal loan. So what’s his retirement plan?”

Clearly, the snarky wording chosen here was made to show Johnson as someone who doesn’t have a clue or at least a plan for his future. Perhaps it’s even meant to show that he’s made some poor financial decisions during his life.

Unlike Johnson, most in Congress make so much money they hardly know what to do with it all. Granted, that’s not all salary-related. Most have lengthy financial portfolios that make them millions each year. They have expensive homes (usually multiple ones), drive expensive cars, go on vacation all the time, have massive private security contracts, etc. – and a case of entitlement bigger than all their assets combined.

Additionally, they often use that money as an influence to get what they want, which is usually more power and better titles. Essentially, that money makes them corruptible.

And as Fuller just proved, Johnson has none of that.

What it also proves, and as most on social media noted, it makes Johnson just like the rest of us. You know, everyday Americans with loans, mortgage payments, and basically living paycheck to paycheck.

As podcaster Joey Mannarino wrote, “So he can relate to the struggles that we’re all out here having? I’m supposed to be angry at this?”

Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida drew a similar conclusion, noting that the Daily Beast is apparently “furious that (Johnson) isn’t rich, corrupt or rich from being corrupt. He doesn’t have shady business deals. He doesn’t trade stocks as a congressman. Cry more, I guess?”

Indeed. How are US citizens like you and me, people who have likely been hard affected by Bidenomics and the failing economy, supposed to be upset that the newest leader of one of our most influential legislative bodies isn’t an elitist who thinks he’s better than everyone else? How are we supposed to heap derision on a man who has financial issues just like us?

And what’s more, and as Gaetz points out, he’s a man who can’t be corrupted by his finances at present.

Again, what is so bad about this?

If anything, it likely just made him all the more popular with Americans nationwide.

I mean, how mad did it make you when you learned that congressional members like former speaker Nancy Pelosi continually make trades in the stock market based on insider knowledge of legislation and the economy? I was furious. How does someone that corrupt end up leading us?

So, it’s a nice change to know that Johnson is nothing like that. Perhaps it means he will actually work for America and her people rather than himself, his title, and his coffers.

And it seems much of America agrees.

 

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